Skaftafell Adventure Tour - 5-Hour Expedition
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Prepare yourself for an unforgettable and frozen adventure from Skaftafell National Park. This is the perfect opportunity for those who want to experience a long hiking adventure on Falljökull, "The Falling Glacier", part of Vantajökull, Europe's largest glacier. We will use different techniques to explore far into the glacier to make sure you let the ice fall amaze you and the breathtaking scenery leave you speechless.
Additional Info
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Dress according to weather
Good to have energy snacks
What To Expect
After a short 10 min. ride on the famous “Tröll Bus”, you’ll immerse yourself in the glacier and begin a short hike to the ice cap. Once there, your guide will explain how to get geared up and what the safest practices to walk on a glacial surface. Once you have your crampons and all necessary equipment on it’s time to take to the ice and begin the adventure. As you get into the glacier outlet, the majestic features of the natural world amaze you. Falljökull is a glacial tongue from Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier. The icefall in the area is unique on earth and the further you get, the more it will blow your mind. The out-worldly scenery is comprised the ice formations in the area: deep crevasses, pale moulins, and even ice sculptures. The further we continue exploring, the more the beautiful it gets. Since we’re going to be so high up, we will be able to observe panoramas over Skaftafell National Park, that has gained fame in the last years for being the location for many films and shows. Note that you spend approximately 3 hours and a half hours on the glacier during this expedition.
Options
Skaftafell Adventure Tour - 5-Hour Expedition
What‘s Included
Professional guide
Coffee and Chocolates
All safety gear for glacier hike
All activities
Hiking Boots Rental (1,750 ISK)
Waterproof Jacket Rental (1,750 ISK)
Waterproof Pants Rental (1,750 ISK)
Hat and Gloves Combo with Logo (3,000 ISK)
Neck Warmer with Logo (500 ISK)
Summer Cap with Logo (1,500 ISK)
Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off from Reykjavík or other areas
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
203 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Beautiful!
Vanessa R,Jun 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great experience! The glacier is beautiful. Paula was a great guide and was focused on our safety as well as our enjoyment. You do have to have a moderate fitness level as it was more than 6 miles total, a lot of that uphill.
Very Poor Experience with Troll’s 5 hour Glacier Hike
KennyH1214,Jun 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Troll lists and markets a 3h beginner friendly hike, and a 5h moderate challenging hike to go deeper into the glaciers and to see more. This review is meant for the adventurous who really want to go an immersive experience, who are aware of your physical abilities, and are comparing tour operators just like me in the same position, then. There is a good chance you will be on a 5 hour grueling walk at a pace where you stop every 10 steps for a couple of minutes of rest, for 5 hours, without getting to see glacier features other than streams of water you can see around Iceland. Emphasis is, the moderate challenge of the hike is not going further, higher, moderate speed, to explore- the challenge was stopping every 10 steps for a few minutes rest, without exaggeration. First the group of guides see you and gear you up at the meeting point (all is good for there). Second, a 15 min bus ride to outside the glacier. Next, a 20min walk to entry point of the glacier, before you are randomly grouped. Do note at this point, you are randomly grouped with others (you should get to stay as a couple or family). There were these two points where the guides/ TROLL could assess the suitability of the participants, and then make an informed decision to group. [Actual Experience] Just barely 10-15 minutes stepping on the glacier (this was after the 20 min walk to the entry point), a participant who clearly did not have the physical ability to be on the hike, could not go on at the “typical” pace. The guide, who was remarkably kind, offered to hold the arm of the one participant, for the entirety of the 5 hour hike from here, and we did 10-15 steps, stop for 2-3 minutes (on average) for the whole tour. Please count, literally, 10-15 steps, and you stop. This was far off the typical glacier walk you are supposed to experience, as you will 1) lag behind the supposed pace by more than 1 hour, 2) you will not see beyond ice on the ground and streams of water. After 3 hours of dragging through the walk, we had to turn back. We saw other groups coming down from levels above, managed to see one group experiencing abseiling down a small ice wall, while we had to turn back. We were so slow that the original bus load of people were long gone, and many other groups who came up later than us, went past us to exit. This review is to account that Troll Exp. does not have any processes in place to attempt to group participants intentionally based on abilities, and will based on “carrying out for safety and wellbeing” to not meet the marketed 5h tour objectives. 1. They could have comms for another guide/ group who was exiting to help bring down the participant while the rest of us go on 2. Made the decision at the 10-15 min mark for regrouping, let the participant join a 3h group, instead of the whole group go through 5h grueling stroll All said, the guide was enthusiastic and really kind to the well-being of the participant. Not blaming the participant too, as it’s the company’s responsibility, and the participant tried her/his best. We did not experience what we signed up and paid for. This may sound being realistic, but this is as real as it gets. You aim to go for a seafood meal, pays a restaurant a full price for it, but due to one patron being allergic to seafood, the restaurant changes it to a non-seafood meal and says they fed you anyway. I am sure the company did many good tours. However, you will be trying your luck due to their lack of process in this area. If you’re going for a 3h/ non physical tour, I think it should be ok. If you want to go for the allegedly more intense/ immersive one? My ending review, roll the die and go for another tour operator. Troll exp. is simply this. June 2026
Amazing experience in Iceland! 🗻
L7315LMariannal,May 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous about a 5-hour glacier hike. But from the very first moment, our guide Jan put every worry to rest. He was warm, funny, incredibly knowledgeable, and made the whole experience feel both safe and genuinely exciting. The glacier is absolutely stunning. Walking across Vatnajökull, surrounded by electric blue ice and dramatic crevasses, felt surreal, like stepping onto another planet. Jan brought it all to life with stories about the glacier’s formation, its changes over time, and fun facts that kept us engaged the entire way. He has such an obvious love for this landscape and it’s completely contagious. What I appreciated most was how attentive he was to everyone in the group. He checked in constantly, adjusted the pace when needed, and made sure we all got the most out of every single moment on the ice. Never once did I feel unsafe or out of my depth. My husband and I have done a lot of travel, and this ranks among the very best experiences we’ve ever had. The kind of day you talk about for years. If you’re heading to Iceland’s south coast, do not skip this tour ; and specifically request Jan if you can. He is the real deal. Ten stars if I could. 🌟🧊
Highly recommend if visiting Iceland!
Miguelv0403,May 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Where do I even begin? The Skaftafell 5-Hour Expedition completely exceeded every expectation I had. From the moment we laced up our crampons to the final steps back off the ice, this was one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of my life. Our guide Jan was absolutely exceptional. His knowledge of the glacier, its history, and the surrounding landscape was incredible — he answered every question with enthusiasm and clearly has a deep passion for this place. What really stood out was how comfortable he made everyone feel. Our group had people of varying fitness levels, and Jan paced things perfectly, making sure no one felt rushed or left behind while still keeping the adventure thrilling for the more experienced hikers. The glacier itself is breathtaking, vivid blue ice formations, and views that photos simply cannot do justice. Jan pointed out details we never would have noticed on our own and shared fascinating insights about how the glacier has changed over the years. Safety was clearly the top priority throughout, and you could tell that Jan’s expertise and calm confidence kept the whole group at ease even on the more challenging sections. If you’re visiting Iceland’s south coast, this tour is non-negotiable. And if you get the chance to book with Jan as your guide; jump on it. He made this trip truly unforgettable. Highest possible recommendation!
The BEST day ever!! You must do this tour!
929blythew,Mar 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An absolute MUST DO when in Iceland! Our tour guide Marco was incredibly knowledgeable and made sure we had lots of fun. The views were magical, I’d definitely recommend doing the 5 hour over the 3 hour tour as there’s so much to see. The walking pace was great, with plenty of breaks to enjoy the views and take lots of pics. A big thanks to the Troll.is team for the best day ever!
Hike through the ice
erosf571,Mar 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic experience among one of the largest glaciers in Europe in the company of Thomas, our guide. Very competent and professional. Highly recommended
Fabulous❤️🖤❤️🖤
robertaaJ5425CH,Mar 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fabulous experience, ultra recommended ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Beautiful experience on the glacier with Tommaso
W9662GYemiliom,Mar 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beautiful experience with Tommaso who was an unparalleled guide!
Rainy glacier hike.
Scousecolumbus,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The organisers had to change our initial plan due to weather deterioration. We instead did a glacier hike where we went to see the ica cave. Our guide Anna was very knowledgeable, passionate about the environment that we were stepping foot on and kept the morale of the group going even while the icelandic weather was bad. We managed to do the hike in the rain but our guide continued to check on everyone's condition regularly to make sure no one got too cold. The facilities were good with hot drinks free and the transport was comfortable. Thank you Anna for the adventure.
Amazing experience! Thank you, Camino!
Daydream32395366853,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We took the 5-hour glacier hike with Camino, and it was the highlight of our trip. The hike was challenging for me; I fell several times and seriously considered turning back. However, Camino was incredibly patient and encouraged us to push through. Without her, we would have missed out on the spectacular views at the top. Highly recommended!
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Operated by Troll Expeditions